Computer networks can consist of a group of computers which perform the same tasks. For example, each personal computer in a corporate network may be used for word processing, or in a software company they may be used to develop and to test software. Such networked computers each run the same computer applications to do the word processing, developing, and testing tasks.
When an enhancement is made to the word processing, developing or testing software, or when new data files are created for such systems, the files (whether software object code or structured database information) must be loaded on each computer in the network. Thus, in a computer system made up of many computers, the single file must be transferred (i.e. copied) many times. This transfer can be time consuming. The computer having the file to be transferred among the computers must spend considerable time to distribute the file to each of the computers. If the file transferred is crucial to a phase of testing or development, the entire network may need to wait until the file is transferred to every computer before the phase can begin.
There is a need in the art to mitigate the time bottleneck associated with linear transfer of a computer file to a group of computers. Such an invention should ensure that the file is successfully transferred to each computer without corruption and it should not require the extensive time of any one of the computers to act as a controller for the process.